Issue No. 30 August 2016

Path toa greener, cleaner future?3

Benefit sharing from the groundTagal Hutan protects biodiversity

Resins on the RiseBorneo Chic turns 5!

Forest SpaAxe on Sacred Groves

Good news for Philippine ICCAsA jedi-saster!

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Understanding the Paris Agreement and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)

The year 2015 ended with a Climate agreement in Paris despite the terror attacks that rocked the city. In this issue of Voices, we begin in Paris with an analysis of the new climate agreement which aims to progress where the Kyoto protocol failed - to stem emissions, saving life on this planet as we know it. It is hoped that the analysis can help demystify this ambitious agreement.

Earlier this year, NTFP-EP and its partners Asian Farmers Association (AFA) and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) collaborated during FAO’s Asia Pacific Forestry Week (APFW) to present Community Forestry –focused sessions. From page 6-7 we share the highlights of benefit sharing sessions, while on page 13 we share our research on the importance of forest products in the beauty sector. Intergalactic movie star, Daisy Ridley, tries out her own turmeric face mask on page 16.

On page 8 we share the results of a workshop on the Malaysian Kadazan indigenous tagal system of forest conservation. During this workshop, Malaysian partners propose a policy framework to support and conserve this tagal tradition. A feature on the forum on issues, challenges and opportunities in resin in the region can also be found on the same page.

Sacred areas are also the discussion point for youth in Maharashtra, India on page 14. Local youth, alarmed by the situation of ecological destruction in their village, embark on a transect walk to generate lists of animals, plants and insects gone due to habitat loss. In relation to sacred spaces, 10 ICCAs in the Philippines secure funding to protect their areas.

In Indonesian Borneo, the battle to save forests takes shape through income incentives in handicraft sales. In April, partners behind the brand Borneo Chic celebrate 5 years since its release. Artisans, beauty queens, retailers and government supporters came to join the celebration (Page 10-11).

Videos and publications of the past months end our issue with information on global climate legislation, opportunities for small enterprise and stories of ecosystem service incentives.

z

Non-Timber Forest Products - Exchange Programme (NTFP-EP) Asia is a collaborative network of over 60 civil society organizations

(CSOs) working with forest-based communities to strengthen their capacity in the sustainable

management of natural resources in the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Voices from the Forest is the official newsletter of NTFP-EP. It is released biannually and contains regional and country forests and

peoples updates from the NTFP-EP network.

EDITORIAL BOARDCrissy Guerrero

Femy PintoLlana Domingo

Tanya ConluEarl Diaz

CONTRIBUTORSEdna Maguigad, Earl Diaz,

Crissy Guerrero,Dominic Joseph, Olivia Melendrez,

Katherine Mana-Galido,Erwin Diloy,

Vijay Sambare, Dazzle Labapis

Cover photo by Earl DiazEarly Thursday morning at San Mateo, Philippines

Do you have interesting stories of people and forests that you’d like us to feature in Voices from the Forest?

What are your thoughts about this issue?

Send in your contributions, comments, and suggestions through the following platforms:

NTFP-EP Asia92 Masikap Ext. Bgy. Central, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1100

NTFP-EP Cambodia10Eo Street 420 Sangkat Boeung Trabek, Khan Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

NTFP-EP IndonesiaJl. Balitvet CC-19 Cimanggu Kecil RT 001/011 Kelurahan Ciwaringin Kecamatan Bogor Tengah,Bogor 16124, Indonesia

NTFP-EP MalaysiaLot 6788, 1st Floor, Taman Tunku Commercial Center, 98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

NTFP-EP Philippines92-A Masikap Ext. Bgy. Central, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1100

ntfp.org facebook.com/ntfpep

@ntfp_ep

info@

Before Paris

The UNFCCC is a framework agreement adopted in the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and entered into force on 21 March 1994, with the ultimate objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations “at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human induced) interference with the climate system”. There is now more scientific evidence of climate change as assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC is an international body that provides policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. The 4th Assessment Report (IPCC AR4) showed that global greenhouse gas emissions have grown since pre-industrial times, with an increase of 70 percent between 1970 and 2004. Looking at the mitigation policies and development pathways of countries, these emissions will increase in the future. Note that results of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012) had barely made an impact on the needed level of reduction needed to stabilize greenhouse gases. The Kyoto Protocol adopted in 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005 is an agreement under the UNFCCC with legally binding emission reduction targets by developed country parties. The Kyoto Protocol is well known for its 3 market based mechanisms: International Emissions Trading, Clean Development Mechanism, and Joint Implementation, an additional means allowed to the country parties to meet their national emissions targets.

The Paris Agreement can potentially achieve what the Kyoto Protocol failed to do, since it has a wider membership and unlike Kyoto Protocol, includes mitigation commitments from all parties, not only of developed countries. Note however, that while

The Paris Moment

On 12 December 2015, 195 countries agreed to an unprecedented global action on climate change during the 21st session of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris, France. This Agreement concluded years of negotiation to come up with a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force applicable to all parties under the UNFCCC. The groundwork for the Agreement was laid down in COP 19 and COP 20 where countries committed to create a new climate agreement by 2015 in Paris that will enter into force by 2020.

Moreover, to facilitate transparency and understanding among countries, they agreed to submit their post-2020 intended contributions in the context of their national priorities, circumstances and capabilities prior to the meeting in Paris. There were 160 submissions of intended national determined contributions (INDCs) ahead of COP 21, reflecting 187 countries (includes EU member states). According to Climate Action Tracker, the unconditional pledges or promises that governments have made, including submitted INDCs as of 7 December 2015 would likely limit warming below 3°C. While this is clearly not enough, the adoption of the Paris Agreement created a momentum across the world for more ambition and cooperation to address climate change.

The adoption of the Paris Agreement was preceded by an equally important event with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in 25 September 2015. Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts is 13th of the 17 Global goals under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Voices article

Understanding the Paris Agreement and National Determined Contributions (NDC)

Written by Edna Maguigad, NTFP-EP Asia

Photos by Edna Maguigad and Earl Diaz, NTFP-EP Asia

Understanding the Paris Agreement and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)

Path toa greener, cleaner future?

Issue No. 30 August 2016

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rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, women, children, persons with disabilities and other persons in vulnerable situations; gender equality and empowerment of women; ecosystems integrity; equitable access to sustainable development; eradication of poverty; food security; Intergenerational equity; and climate justice. These all too familiar principles are sufficient guidance for all countries to draft truly effective and sustainable climate change plans for the common good, and for present and future generations.

The role of forests in climate change adaptation and mitigation was formally recognized under Article 5 of the Paris Agreement. Parties agreed to take action to conserve and enhance forests as sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases, and implement and support REDD+ and alternative policy approaches, such as joint mitigation and adaptation approaches for the integral and sustainable management of forests.

The increasing importance of forests was also evident in the INDCs submitted by countries ahead of the COP 21 in Paris where majority of the countries identified forestry as a key area for both mitigation and adaptation. In ASEAN, all of the ten Member States submitted their INDCs and identified mitigation and adaptation actions in the forestry and land use sectors.

This is also an opportunity for social forestry and its growing body of evidence and gains, to influence NDC implementation. In ASEAN countries, there is increasing evidence that social forestry provides opportunity to increase national resilience to climate change, through diversifying rural livelihoods, increasing food security and leveraging social capital and knowledge.

mitigation commitments under the Kyoto are legally binding, the countries’ targets (in their nationally determined contributions or NDCs) are not.

The Paris Agreement

There is evidence that in the absence of policies, global warming is expected to reach 4.1°C – 4.8°C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. The overall effect of this increase in temperature is dumbfounding, as every increase in temperature will lead to loss of species, habitats, and have an impact on food security, among a long list of other impacts.

Under the Paris Agreement, countries agreed to long-term mitigation goals for keeping temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Farenheight), and to pursue efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees. Countries agreed to have five-year cycles of submission of their NDCs, with each new submission representing a progression beyond their previous actions, or to put it simply more ambitious targets with concrete action plans. There will be a 2018 Assessment, and after that, countries will again meet in Year 2023 to assess implementation and progress towards achieving the long-term goals under the Agreement.

In adaptation, there is also a cycle of actions similar to mitigation. Note that almost all countries included adaptation in their nationally determined contributions. Just as important is the agreement that developing countries will receive support for planning, implementation and communicating their adaptation plans. Sadly though, for loss and damage attributable to climate change (that is when adaptation was not enough), the countries that are top emitters are exempt from any liability.

The preamble of the Paris Agreement is very promising and quite revolutionary with the explicit mention of the following: human rights and the

How will these commitments affect the next generations of indigenous communities?

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and Russia.At present, countries are undergoing their

respective domestic processes for the ratification of the Paris Agreement and moving towards implementation of respective NDCs. The Paris Agreement contains a process on how countries will finalize their current INDCs, and shift them from being INDC to NDC. The challenge on hand is for countries to turn these contributions into public policies and investment plans for mitigation and adaptation, and how sectors particularly those vulnerable to climate change as well as those who can greatly contribute, are involved in the planning.

Data from the UNFCCC portal showed that as of 3 August 2016, there are 180 signatories to the Paris Agreement, and out of this, 22 states have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval. This accounts for 1.08% of the global greenhouse gas emissions.

The Paris Agreement and the NDCs and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), taken together with existing international declaration and agreements for forest and indigenous peoples and local communities, provide a much greater role for the forestry sector, and ultimately to all forest-dependent communities than ever before to combat climate change.

After Paris: what is next?

The adoption of the Paris Agreement in COP 21 does not make it effective; it merely established the form and content of an agreement. The Paris Agreement was opened for signature on 22 April 2016 at a high-level signature ceremony convened by the Secretary General in New York. In this meeting, 174 States including all ten ASEAN countries and the European Union signed the agreement, and 15 States also deposited their instruments of ratification.

The Paris Agreement enters into force and becomes legally binding for countries who have ratified it, on the thirtieth day after the two conditions specified in Article 21, paragraph 1, have been fulfilled. First, that at least 55 Parties to the Convention have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with the UN Secretary General acting as Depository and second, that these countries account in total for at least 55% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. It cannot be predicted when these 2 conditions will be fulfilled, but it is envisioned to be before Year 2020. Analysis of the emission trajectory showed that the fulfillment of the 2nd condition will require the ratification of the Agreement from at least one of the 4 major country emitters: China, the Unites States, European Union

References: UNDP, UNFCCC, IPCC, Paris and Beyond - WRI, Climate Action TrackerFurther reading: http://ntfp.org/2016/06/intended-nationally-determined-contributions-from-forestry-in-asean-countries/

Sustainable Development Goals (from UNDP)

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6 Wild Food!

Two community partners of the Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Programme - Philippines (NTFP-EP Philippines) showcased their experiences in sustaining their respective non-timber forest product enterprises during the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week (APFW) session entitled ‘We benefit from the fores: Getting a fair share in the benefits derived from forests: approaches and tools.” These were the Pantribong Samahan ng Kanlurang Mindoro (PASAKAMI)—a province-wide network of seven (7) Mangyan tribes in Minodoro and Samahan ng mga Palawano ng Amas, Brookes Point Multipurpose Cooperative (SPABP MPC)—a community organization of Pala’wan tribes in Palawan.

The Case of Forest Honey

The Philippine forests are home to a variety of honeybees that produce quality forest honey for many indigenous peoples (IPs) including partners of NTFP-EP from Bukidnon, Negros Occidental, Palawan, Quezon, Rizal, Tarlac and Mindoro.

Arnel Ignacio, Coordinator of the PASAKAMI Yamang Gubat (Forest Resources), the enterprise arm of the PASAKAMI shared that benefit sharing scheme is being practiced. For instance, for every hundred pesos (PhP100.00) per kilogram,

• PhP 85.00 goes to the harvesters – this is able to support basic needs like foods and children’s education of more than 1000 honey harvesters;

• PhP 5.00 goes to the consolidators;• PhP 5.00 to the indigenous peoples organization (IPO) – this is

allotted for meetings and operations; and,• PhP 5.00 goes to the community where the forest honey

was harvested – this is being used for rituals, meetings and maintenance of village halls.

For PASAKAMI, to be able to achieve sustainable benefits from forest honey enterprise, they should: 1) strictly follow sustainable harvesting and protocols; 2) expand markets to increase sales; 3) improve network and linkages to continuously generate support; and, 4) implement benefit sharing scheme to generate active participation of all federation members.

Mr. Arnel Ignacio of PASAKAMI Yamang Gubat, Mindoro, Philippines

Written by Olivia Melendrez, Katherine Mana-Galido, and Erwin Diloy, NTFP-EP Philippines

Photos by Dazzle Labapis, NTFP-EP Asia

Arnel Ignacio of PASAKAMI

6 Greening the Future

The Case of Almaciga Resin

The resin from almaciga (Agathis philippinensis), also known as Manila copal, is one of the traditional livelihood of the indigenous peoples (IPs) in Palawan. While almaciga is among the tree species protected under Philippine law because of its vulnerable status under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, a resolution from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) allows sustainable tapping of almaciga resin in ancestral domains by IPs in Palawan.

Rolito Landuan, Business Manager of SPABP MPC shared that their almaciga resin enterprise was able to support not only its operations but also was able to assist community members to avail of Philhealth (health insurance).

For Rolito and SPABP however, sustaining benefits from almaciga resin is not an easy path. They have to undergo a lengthy, costly and tedious process of getting endorsements, clearance and annual permit from various government agencies. It took them four years to get the permit in 2014. The 2015 annual permit is still in process.

Apart from this, SPABP MPC also shared other permitting issues of their adjacent indigenous communities. SPABP MPC is also leading a Technical Working Group (TWG) for different indigenous people organizations (IPOs) in Brooke’s Pt. to improve the sustainable development of almaciga resin enterprise. According to Rolito, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) granted a non-IP permittee inside ancestral domains without undergoing Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) process.

Internally, SPAPB recognizes the need for strengthening their indigenous knowledge systems and practices (IKSP), e.g. active involvement of IP youth, and strict implementation of resource management. These, together with their calls to government to simplify the permitting process and capacitate them will sustain their benefits from the forest.

Summing up…

Other resource persons from the session included speakers from Cambodia, Indonesia, Mongolia and Vietnam. Additional inputs on benefit sharing were also provided by Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and NTFP-EP Philippines.

From the session, it can be concluded that benefits from the forests must accrue to those closest to the resources based on ownership / tenure, needs and performance - therefore, communities must get the biggest share. Governments should support communities through granting of land ownership / tenure, access rights to manage resources, and capacitating them to sustain these benefits.

Mr. Rolito Landuan of SPABP, Palawan reads their resolution as a result of the IP Forum

Arnel Ignacio of PASAKAMI

Rolito Landuan of SPABP MPC

“The forests provide life and sustenance to us. It is to our best advantage that we take care of the forests. We commit to manage it sustainably, for many generations to come.”

- Consortium Statement Delivered During Asia Pacific Forestry Week 2016

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It was timely that a workshop was organised on ‘Promoting Tagal Hutan to Conserve Traditional Indigenous Practices, Enhance Watershed Management and Address Climate Change’.

This event was co-organised by the Sabah Forestry Department with other members of the Sabah Social Forestry Working Group (SASOF), mainly Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme (NTFP EP) Malaysia, Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP), Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS), PACOS Trust and Ridge to Reef.

The contents and knowledge acquired from this workshop could certainly support the revised National Policy on Biological Diversity which was launched by Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The revised policy emphasised the need for continued conservation and the sharing of benefits from biodiversity in a fair and equitable manner.

The policy has five goals and they are: encompassing stakeholder empowerment, reducing pressure on biodiversity, safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity, and ensuring equitable sharing of benefits from biodiversity.

The good news is during the fourth plenary session of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), it was mentioned that at the regional level Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia are working together under the Heart of Borneo Initiative to conserve approximately 200,000 sq km of forest. About 30% of the protected area was in Malaysian territory.

At the workshop in Sabah, Jannie Lasimbang of JOAS presented a research paper entitled ‘Assessing the Potential of Tagal Hutan to Conserve Traditional Indigenous Practices, Enhance Watershed Management and Address Climate Change through Policy Frameworks’.

‘Tagal’ in the Kadazan language means prohibition and has been practiced for generations by the Orang Asal, or natives of Sabah. The system maintains harmony between users and their natural environment.The tagal system can be used to manage natural resources such as rivers, forests, watersheds, wildlife, among others.

At the IPBES conference, one of the primary focus was the survival of pollinator species which includes bees, butterflies, beetles, birds and bats and their significance to food production.

Research shows that pollinator populations are under threat by human activities in many parts of the world. ‘Tagal hutan can certainly help curb such threats.”

Currently, Berita Daily is made to understand, that there are five indigenous communities practicing

‘Tagal’ in the Kadazan language means prohibition and has been practiced for generations by the Orang Asal. The system maintains harmony between users and their natural environment

Article by Dominic G. Joseph, Berita Daily

This article was originally published on

Berita Daily, Feature, 27/02/2016

8 Living Spaces

different types of tagal hutan depending on their needs and locality.

The workshop looked into how the knowledge and practices of indigenous communities could be utilised in managing forest and land through the development of a policy or legal framework.

“Currently in Sabah there are already six enactments and policies which can be used to support and implement the plan. This includes the Sabah Forestry Enactment 1968, Sabah Parks Regulations 2011, Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, Sabah Water Resource Enactment 1998, Section 78 of the Sabah Land Ordinance 1930 and Sabah Land Use Policy 2010,” said Jannie.

As reported in Berita Daily, The Edelman Trust Barometer 2016 study revealed that the public trusted the government less today while non-government organisations held the most trust among Malaysians.

Trust-building between the indigenous communities and state government is a necessary pre-condition particularly in the implementing of tagal hutan within protected areas and state land forests.

For the next event the group will engage other relevant departments and agencies including the Drainage and Irrigation Department, Sabah Parks and the Department of Environment.

Even without a policy framework, preliminary feedback indicates that the indigenous communities are committed to conserve and manage their forest resources, enhance watershed management and address climate change using their adat, traditional knowledge and practices.

There are traditional and spiritual elements within these traditional practices. However, Jannie outlined several concerns that need to be addressed: they are possible conflicts of interest, the recognition of several forms of tagal hutan, management effectiveness, active participation, identifying the decision-makers within the community, coordination efforts, jurisdiction, continuous research and education.

Giving tagal hutan a new lifeline will certainly revitalize traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous communities. It will also inspire the younger generation in wanting to participate in conservation activities.

“A policy framework can definitely add value and hasten the conservation of culture, forest and lands. More so if it has the support of all the communities in the state,” says Jannie.

Hillary Clinton said “it takes a village to raise a child.” Berita Daily believes that it takes a village to protect and restore our biodiversity.

ASEAN has a rapidly growing regional economy. Its growth and economic boom is attributed to various national industries including those related to forestry, agriculture and natural resources. These sectors are contributing to growth in these countries in varying degrees.

Unfortunately, unlike the expansion of agricultural plantations which have taken over the landscapes of ASEAN with such crops as oil palm, rubber and sugar, more benign agro-forest and non-timber forest product (NTFP) models have not received as much attention.

An emerging non-timber forest product gradually gaining traction is natural resin. As a response, NTFP-EP in cooperation with the ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN), the Philippine Department of Science and Technology – Forest Products and Development Research Institute (DOST-FPRDI), and the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Forest Management Bureau (DENR-FMB), in October 2015 organized Resins on the Rise, the first Regional Forum on NTFPs. It was a gathering of relevant stakeholders to engage in a regional discussion on the status, development, and opportunities of resin enterprises, in exploring its potential contribution to sustainable forest management while being sufficiently protected from potential impacts of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

The forum ended on a high note as regional and national plans have been formulated and concrete steps are being set into motion.

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On its 5th anniversary, Borneo Chic showcased a new collection of bags and apparel offering a wide variety of Dayak textiles in modern designs. The celebration was held at the shop grounds at Kekun Café, Jalan Bangka Raya No. 99A - South Jakarta. The new Borneo Chic collection is a collective masterpiece from over 400 Dayak artisans, most of whom are women living in and around the forests of Borneo.

However, this rich heritage of weaving and local knowledge is now being threatened due to rapid forest loss and degradation. Globalization and reverence for all things modern has resulted in tepid appreciation and respect for the traditional art of Dayak weaving. As a response, Borneo Chic aims to lift the Dayak traditional crafts from rattan, bamboo, leaf fiber, natural dyes and bemban as fashion products that not only promote cultural identity but also inform the general public about the threats that are happening in Borneo forests.

Articleby Crissy Guerrero NTFP-EP Asia

Photos by Wahyu WIdhiBorneo Chic down memory lane

ASFCC partners

Dayak music sets the stage for the celebration

10 NTFP Spotlight

The Borneo Chic brand promotes sustainable forest management along with the development of alternative sources of income for the Dayak community. Its strategy is to promote the Dayak products as a “modern-heritage handbag line” that are of outstanding quality and craftsmanship that provide incentives for sustainable forest use.

As a form of gratitude and appreciation to those who have supported the success of Borneo Chic in its five years of existence, Borneo Chic held an event that was participated in by government representatives, business partners and loyal customers of Borneo Chic. Present in this activity is its guest of honor, Kornelia Meilinda Betsyeba, finalist of Puteri Indonesia 2016 from West Kalimantan, who says she supports Borneo Chic as “Borneo Chic helps preserve and promote the culture and tradition of the Dayak of Kalimantan.”

Articleby Crissy Guerrero NTFP-EP Asia

Photos by Wahyu WIdhi

ASFCC partners

A showcase of the latest Borneo Chic fashion line, featuring Kornelia Meilinda Betsyeba, finalist of Puteri Indonesia 2016

Borneo Chic staff, friends, and partners

Dayak music sets the stage for the celebration

Pak Akim demonstrating ulap doyo weaving

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in Indonesia, presented on the growing trend of the global beauty industry sharing that the global beauty industry was USD 465 billion in 2014, with premium beauty, including natural beauty products, expected to grow to 2019 to more than 20% of the total market!

Ms. Barwa then shared about the effectiveness of the putih langsat or Lansium domesticum line of Martha Tilaar’s Sari Ayuh brand to make skin brighter and softer. Hla Doi of POINT, Myanmar then also presented on other facial skin product called thanaka from Limonia acidissima L. Thanaka is said to be used by over 90% of all Myanmar locals as it has been known to moisturize and cool the skin while protecting it from the sun. Unfortunately, lack of tenurial security and large investment requirements limit expansion of community producers in this field. Dr. Truong Luu Hong from Vietnam presented on Sterculia foetida and the use of this tree gum for beauty products. This forest product can be used to heal facial scars, for general skin care, pigment bleaching and acne treatment. Sustainability issues and fluctuating prices are existing challenges. Finally, Ms. Rehel presented on soapberry or Sapindus emarginatus Vahl as an excellent hair cleanser and skin treatment with anti bacterial and antifungal properties.

“I feel rejuvenated!” – said Bernd-Markus Liss, Principal Advisor on Climate Change for GIZ in the Philippines.

This was after he went through the forest spa experience organized by NTFP-EP at the Asia Pacific Forestry Week (APFW) in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines from Feb 22-26, 2016.

Shiny Rehel of Keystone Foundation, India placed a turmeric and chick pea-based cream on to Bernd’s face. Similar traditional formulas have been used in India for skin care treatment for centuries. Benefits include skin cleansing and blemish removal. Turmeric combined with other ingredients can also reduce facial lines.

The Forest Spa was one of the introductory and promotional events for the mini-seminar on Forests and Beauty held at the APFW.

NTFP-EP, with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), conducted case studies on forest resources that are used for beauty products in the cosmetics, personal care and perfume industries. Wild turmeric from India or Curcuma aromatica Salisb is just one of the 12 case studies conducted.

During the mini seminar at APFW, Nuning Barwa of Martha Tilaar Group, a leading cosmetics company

Article by Crissy Guerrero, NTFP-EP Asia

Photos by Earl Diaz, NTFP-EP Asia

12 NTFP Spotlight

MAIN INGREDIENTS

Wild Turmeric (Curcuma aromatica)

The rhizome is used as a culinary ingredient and a herbal tea. A powder of the dried rhizome is used in several home remedies and skin care preparations with milk, honey and sandalwood powder.

Chick Pea (Cicer arietinum)

The seed in used in various culinary preparations. Powdered seeds are used as an ingredient in skin care preparations. It makes the skin soft and smooth, removing dead cells and lightening skin colour gradually.

OTHER INGREDIENTS

Fresh milk, yogurt, lemon juice

To end the seminar were presentations on essential oils. The first was Sandalwood or Santalum spp. which can be extracted by steam distillation to be used for the perfume industry. Cenon Padolina from Southern Pacific Community (SPC) presented it as the “Golden Tree of the Pacific”. Previous, unregulated sandalwood trade almost wiped out the tree completely in the 1800s. Conservation measures are needed to make sure it is not over exploited. Charisse Reyes from the University of the Philippines (UP) shared about Manila elemi or Canarium luzonicum which produces essential oil used by large name brands such as Chanel. Unfortunately the Philippines is losing the rights to such formulas and processes are being granted to foreign companies.

Forests don’t only provide us food, furniture and building materials, but can also make us beautiful and help us stay young! The beauty industry is one that can further expand community forestry in Asia and the Pacific with needed political support, conservation, measures and technology and extension services. Everyone should work together to save forests and stay beautiful while doing it! :)

PREPARATION

In a bowl, mix 1 cup of fresh milk, 1 cup of yogurt, 2 tablespoons lemon, 1 teaspoon of wild turmeric power, 1/2 cup of chick pea powder.

Mix until the composition is generally consistent.

Gently apply to the face using a brush to make sure the mixture is evenly spread out. Avoid the eyes to prevent irritation.

Wait for around 10-15 minutes for the mask to dries before washing it off with water.

Enjoy the renewed glow and firmness of your face!

ASFN Leader Indonesia, Mr. Wiratno takes the turmeric challenge!

ICRAF’s Delia Catacutan sneaks a photo at the forest spa

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The tradition of forest conservation in the name of gods and goddesses prevails in many parts of India. In Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Kerala there exist thousands of sacred groves today that are protected by the communities. These are known as “community conserved sacred forests” and are usually primary forests. In the environmentally sensitive region of Western Ghats only 7% of such forests now remain, of which a majority are sacred groves.

Research conducted on these sacred groves in Maharashtra began in the 1970s and it was found that more than 3,500 sacred groves have been registered in the state. They were classified as private forest or as belonging to the Forest Department; yet the ultimate

right of their conservation lies only with the local people and are conserved according to customary laws. In spite of this, due to various ‘development’ work, external influences, changes in traditional set-ups, etc., these sacred groves are now threatened.

The story of Satewadi sacred grove

Satewadi is a village in a tribal cluster located on the boundary of Pune and Ahmednagar districts. Due to inadequate rainfall, the tribal people here can’t utilize the forest land for agriculture. The entire region is barren and without much vegetation and there is an extreme paucity of water. Apart from the yearly monsoon rains, there aren’t many sources for fresh

Article and photos by Vijay Pralhad Sambare, Lokpanchayat

Children visit the sacred grovesCutting trees at the sacred groves

14 A Little Goes a Long Way

Article and photos by Vijay Pralhad Sambare, Lokpanchayat

Children visit the sacred groves

water in this village.Three years ago, some tribal youth & school

children from Satewadi went to Kothala, a village about 40kms away from Satewadi. Kothala is endowed with five sacred groves and ample greenery. The children enjoyed themselves there and on their return, when we asked if they liked the groves, they said they did. Then, one boy told us that there had been a sacred grove in Satewadi as well, but the villagers had cut it down to build a concrete temple, and that they sold away all the wood. The Forest Department had not taken action when this happened; the local community had also not taken any action. All the children became restless and upset while talking about that grove as they clearly missed it.

Later some of us visited the area where the villagers had destroyed the sacred grove. We observed that some of the very old trees, exclusive to that area, had been cut. The children did a transect walk and listed about 25 species that the grove had comprised of. The youth & children made a ‘guess’ list of the trees, creepers, and bushes that were destroyed and they also listed the animals, birds, insects that were deprived of their habitats due to destruction of the sacred grove.

At present only the hill palms are left, probably as they had little commercial value. These palms do

well when there are other tree species growing in proximity. The area of where the grove stood is now occupied by ‘lantana’, an exotic species that spreads easily and endangers native grasses and trees. The ground water level too has gone down in the area and so has the soil fertility. Such negative impacts have increased.

Need of restoration

Over the past five years, Lok Panchayat has been trying to mobilize the youth and children and make them aware about the horrifying consequences of the destruction of the grove in Satewadi. Through conversations, long debates and discussions we have realized the impact of the destruction of groves also on the youth & children. They need to take some steps to regenerate the grove using customary laws. Simultaneously the program of Environment Department, State Biodiversity Board and NREGA can be useful in such a restoration process. The impact of destruction of the Satewadi sacred grove is manifold. Due to the unfavorable living conditions thus created these tribal people are forced to migrate elsewhere. Such destruction creates ecological refugees, a state-of-affairs that will further accentuate the ecological and socioeconomic problems of future generations.

Bukluran, the Filipino ICCA Consortium and member of the international ICCA Consortium, participated in the inception workshop and launching of the Philippine ICCA Project. This is the second phase of the UNDP-funded project aimed at strengthening the conservation, protection and management of Key Biodiversity Areas by institutionalizing ICCAs as protected areas.

In 2010, UNDP had funded the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to explore the feasibility of ICCAs as one of the new models of protected area management, as an alternative to the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS). The project, called New

Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project (NewCAPP), led to the birth of Bukluran Inc. (Bukluran ng mga Pamayanang Nangangalaga sa Kalikasan), a consortium of indigenous groups representing the seven ethno-linguistic regions of the country.

This second phase will again be implemented by the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of the DENR, with partners Philippine Association for Intercultural Development, Inc. (PAFID), Coalition of Indigenous Peoples Organization in the Philippines (KASAPI) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). It will run for four years and involve ten ICCAs, all Bukluran members. The project will include harmonizing existing laws, capacitating government agencies and local governments, and supporting indigenous peoples as they take on the effective governance and management of their territories.

The workshop enabled community representatives and their respective local government representatives to discuss and refine their plans, timelines, and practicalities of project implementation.

Article by Tanya Conlu, NTFP-EP Asia

Photo by Portia Villarante, Anthrowatch

Issue No. 30 August 2016

15

Southeast Asia contains the world’s third largest tropical forest. However, deforestation persists. Climate change often aggravates the situation. Over 50% of the population of ASEAN depends on the forest for sustenance. Large forest areas in the ASEAN region are already managed by local people.

The ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN) seeks to empower local communities in their role in forest conservation and their right to economic security.

Communities conserving and benefiting from

forest ecosystem: The Vietnam Story

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States have carried out individual and collective actions to address climate change, including curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, taking into consideration common but differentiated responsibilities, national circumstances and respective capacities, among others. ASEAN Leaders have also supported the process under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to arrive at a common understanding of the global goal to reduce emissions to pave the way for a new climate change agreement. In doing so, ASEAN Leaders have issued Joint Declarations and Statements in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015. In their most recent Joint Declaration on Climate Change, ASEAN Leaders called upon Member States to work effectively and in good faith for an agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention and submit Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).

Available online at www.NTFP.org

Intended Nationally Determined

Contributions from Forestry in ASEAN

Countries

Supporting Community Forestry

Enterprises (CFEs) with the ASEAN Strategic Action

Plan (SAP) for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

The World Bank reported that an estimated 90 percent of the poorest people rely on forests for subsistence and income. To date, forests are inhabited by approximately 1.3 billion rights holders, of which 450 million people are living in the Asia-Pacific and an estimated 300 million people in the ASEAN region depend, directly or indirectly on the various benefits derived from its forests. These people and their communities can contribute to sustainable growth in the region if empowered through supportive policies and programs particularly on community economy, and assisted in developing sustainable forest and non-forest based livelihoods.

Available online at www.NTFP.org

Daisy Ridley, who plays the lead role as a newly-discovered Jedi warrior in the latest Star Wars installment “The Force Awakens,” recorded a video for her fans describing how she researched home recipes for a turmeric facial pack.

In her quest for a home remedy for blemishes on her face in time for the filming of the movie, her turmeric mixture left her hands and face stained with a bright shade of yellow – which persisted for quite a while.

Naturally, turmeric has a yellow tint which leaves a glowing look when applied moderately to the skin. However, according to Shiny Rehel of Keystone Foundation, extra caution must be exercised when using turmeric. Depending on the species and amount, excessive applications may sometimes cause the skin to be dyed, or even burnt.

Too bad she wasn’t there with us during the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week, we could have shared our Forest Facial recipe (on page 13) which truly worked!

Photo taken fom Star Wars website

Photo taken from Daisy Ridley’s Instagram